Over 30 countries assisting China to combat novel coronavirus – Foreign Ministry

"As of midday on February 14, the governments of 33 countries and four international organizations have sent aid in the form of medical supplies to China," Geng said during a briefing.

The Foreign Ministry spokesman added that China, in the most part, has taken its own efforts to combat the spread of the virus, called COVID-19 by the World Health Organization. However, Beijing was grateful for the help that the international community has provided.

"In the fight against the coronavirus outbreak, China has mostly relied on its own strengths … At the same time, we welcome and deeply appreciate the sincere and friendly support from the international community, especially from other developing countries," the spokesman remarked.

Geng added that another 17 countries, and one more international organization, have announced their intention to provide aid to China.
On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at a press conference in Germany that Chinese efforts to contain the virus successfully prevented its global spread. The number of COVID-19 cases outside China is less than one percent of the number of confirmed cases of infection in China.

The new strain of coronavirus was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan, in Hubei province, in late December and has since spread to more than 20 other countries. So far, the virus has infected over 64,000 people worldwide, resulting in the deaths of over 1,380 people.